I'm honored to interview Jennie Bricker, one of our Spring 2026 Flash Fiction Runner-Up winners. We'll be chatting about what inspired her flash fiction story, "The Sailboat," her revision process, and more.
Before you read our discussion, be sure to read her story, "The Sailboat," then come on back. First, here's more about Jennie:
Jennie Bricker practices natural resources law in Portland, Oregon, with a side gig as a freelance editor and writer. She has previously worked as a bookstore clerk, a college writing instructor, a magazine editor, a comic book editor, a pizza delivery driver, and the brown furry mascot for a southern Oregon pizza joint formerly known as Grizzly Bear Pizza.
Jennie has published around 40 nonfiction articles, both magazine features and academic pieces, one of which received an award. Her short stories and microfiction have appeared in 100 Word Story, Third Wednesday Magazine, and a Writer’s Digest prizewinners anthology. Her first novel, Thirsty Creek (Unsolicited Press, 2025), is an ecological murder mystery set in the Wallowa Mountains of eastern Oregon. Her second novel, The Metabolic Adventures of Two-Bit Gilkey, comes out in spring 2028 from Type Eighteen Books.
--- Interview by Nicole Pyles
WOW: Congrats on winning runner-up for your story, "The Sailboat." What inspired this story?
Jennie: This story began as a poem, during a period about 15 years ago when I wrote a lot of poetry, mostly bad. This poem was based on an actual relationship that ended, and an actual sailboat. I’ve taken several poems from that period and converted them into microfiction. I think it’s the imagery that makes the conversion effective. Very little of the poem remains, but some of the images are still there.
WOW: I love that you turned poetry into microfiction. That's something I want to remember! What was your revision process like?
Jennie: First, I converted the poem into prose, which required a narrative arc. Then, usually, a story is obese — too long, with pointless scenes and characters. So my main process is to winnow it down to something I consider its essence. With “The Sailboat,” I also fiddled endlessly with the language. I wanted the syntax to reflect the sound and the mood of the ocean, which in the story becomes the symbol of emotion, memory, and nostalgia. So, for example, I wrote “salty sad lapping and murmur” because to me it sounded like the sea against the shore, or against the hull of a boat.
WOW: Great insights on the weight of a story. Does your career practicing natural resources law help or influence your writing in any way?
Jennie: My law job gives me ideas for stories. My novel, Thirsty Creek, is based on an actual ecological disaster that I learned about as I was helping organize a conference for the Oregon Lakes Association. Usually my work is more of an impediment to writing. I write in the early morning, when it’s quiet, my favorite time. I start work when the hubbub of the day takes hold.
WOW: I love how your work inspires you. You have some incredible publications you’ve achieved! What advice can you share about creating publishable writing that you can share with our readers?
Jennie: Thirsty Creek took me 14 years to get into publishable shape and then find a publisher. I hope that’s not typical. So my advice is that persistence is at least as important as talent. Be patient. Laugh at rejection and never take it personally. Read constantly. And unless someone else is paying the mortgage, don’t quit your day job.
WOW: Great advice! What are you working on that you can tell us about?
Jennie: My second novel — The Metabolic Adventures of Two-Bit Gilkey — is a YA novel that comes out in 2028. It only took 2 years!! Apparently I have learned something. I’m also getting better at short stories, especially microfiction, which I adore. I’m writing short stories but haven’t settled in on my next big project. It’s between three ideas for novels. All of them, like Two-Bit Gilkey, have time travel, because I love time travel.
WOW: Time travel is really a great theme. Thank you so much for your time. We look forward to seeing more from you!
